JANM Raised Over $1.1 Million and Announced New Comprehensive Campaign Goal at the 2024 Benefit

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) hosted its annual Benefit and Online Auction on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Set at the historic Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles with the theme Illuminating Paths, the Museum celebrated the vital paths of community leaders who wove courageous stories with poignant lessons to inspire and educate the next generation and raised over $1.1 million.

The Benefit honored Duncan Ryuken Williams and Sunyoung Lee, director and creative director of the Irei project, and David Ono, host of Defining Courage. Festivities also included an online auction that celebrated the community with artists’ works and goods and services from local businesses and corporate partners; the Bid for Education program that makes annual field trips possible for over 12,000 students and educators; and the Lexus Opportunity Drawing that supports the Museum’s educational programming and outreach.

Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of JANM, also announced that the Museum surpassed its initial goal of $65 million for the Our Promise comprehensive campaign and increased it to $85 million.

“Reaching our initial goal for the comprehensive campaign has been a team effort driven by every department; empowered by our staff, board, and volunteers; and made possible with your generosity. Now we can continue to light our path forward with this new goal that will help transform our physical and digital presence, secure our endowment and build for the future, and provide compelling programming that tells stories in bold new ways, create new experiences, and share our resources nationally,” said Burroughs. 

The 2024 Benefit was sponsored in part by Lexus, MUFG Bank, Ltd., U.S. Bank, ABC Stores, Kari Nakama and Kristine Nishiyama in partnership with Capital Group, Sycamore Tree Capital Partners, and the Takeo and Miyoko Yuki Family. The exclusive local television media partner was KTLA.

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About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a center for civil rights, ensuring that the hard-fought lessons of the World War II incarceration are not forgotten. A Smithsonian Affiliate and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories. JANM is a center for the arts as well as history. It provides a voice for Japanese Americans and a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 100 exhibitions onsite while traveling 40 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. JANM is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday–Sunday from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and on Thursday from 12 p.m.–8 p.m. JANM is free every third Thursday of the month. On all other Thursdays, JANM is free from 5 p.m.–8 p.m. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media @jamuseum.